Team Future  Metamorphosis
by TiffanyPhantom
Summary: A continuation of artificus's "Team Future". A tale bursting with action, adventure, all the Willet-ness to satisfy your little hearts, the return of a powerful enemy, and a quest to save the world.  Written by Aritficus and TiffanyPhantom
1. Chapter 1

There was absolutely nothing different about the day our story begins. Everything went as it usually did – the silence of the morning was broken by another one of Spike and Dimitri's arguments, Tiny's gentle snoring, and Grandpa Bud's hysterical laughter as he set himself on fire again. (Hey, _somebody_ needed to work on the fireproof pants.)

The skyscrapers stretched towards a cloudless sky, transport bubbles skidded rapidly across the landscape, and the bright, shimmering world of 2037 didn't look like it was going to implode any time soon. Sweet normalcy.

Sure, today wasn't any different from the next. There was no special occasion, no nation-wide jamboree, nor any reason to celebrate. Yet Wilbur Robinson awoke that morning with joy in his heart, happiness in his eyes, and a smile so wide that his family members were afraid that it would pop right off his face.

'Morning, little buddy,' said Carl. He stared with astonishment as Wilbur sauntered into the kitchen.

'Hey, Carl,' greeted Wilbur, snatching a piece of toast and gobbling it down in two bites. 'You haven't seen my Captain Future comic books around, have you? I could've sworn I left it in the…why are you looking at me like that?'

Carl's eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets, and his mouth was agape with awe. Wilbur Robinson was awake at seven in the morning, fully dressed and uncomplaining, on a Saturday. There was something very, very wrong with this scene.

'Okay, what's up?' asked Carl.

'Up? Y-you know, the usual.' stammered the boy. As he did, his eyes darted away from Carl's gaze, and his face flushed with a shade of bright pink. 'The sky's up, and so is the ceiling…there's a list.'

Carl's eyelids narrowed as Wilbur continued to speak. Wilbur was his little buddy, his amigo, his pal' of pals - he'd never hide anything from Carl unless it happened to involve a girl...

Carl grinned, as if a lightbulb had appeared over his mechanical cranium.

'Ah.' said the robot. 'I see.'

'See? See what?' Wilbur froze.

'You're going to see her again, aren't you?'

Wilbur's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink, making his head look very much like a strawberry with eyes. 'Her? There's no "her". Carl, you're talking crazy.'

Carl's grinned widened. He knew, without a doubt, he'd snagged the opportunity of a lifetime - a chance to tease Wilbur Robinson.

'You're going to see the girl who came over with your homework yesterday.' smirked Carl, feigning a reflective expression, 'What was her name again? Vanessa? Victoria?'

'So what if I am?' shot Wilbur. 'It's nothing special. It's only a study date –'

'A date, huh?' asked Carl.

Wilbur gulped, immediately regretting saying anything to this stupid robot. He had to admit that Carl was a fantastic friend. However, times like this - times when Carl found it a tad _too _tempting to taunt the stuffing out of the teenager - made Wilbur rethink their friendship.

'Sounds pretty special to me.' sang Carl.

'Come on, Carl!' huffed Wilbur.

'Okay, okay. You know I'm just kidding, kiddo,' laughed Carl, pushing Wilbur towards the exit. 'Now go on, get out of here.'

Wilbur gave Carl another suspicious gaze, wondering if he would bother to mock him even further, before wandering out of the kitchen.

Carl knew he shouldn't have done this, but it was much too tempting. He jeered, 'try not to kiss her. After all, it is the first date!'

Wilbur, surprised by Carl's sudden outburst, tripped on his own feet and stumbled towards the front door. He spun around, gave Carl (who was now laughing so hard that he was short-circuiting) another spiteful look before rushing out of the house with the little dignity he had left.

* * *

><p>After three hours of laughing, talking, and doing anything but studying, Wilbur and Violet decided to end their "study date" with a walk to the ice-cream parlor across the street.<p>

'You're serious,' gasped Wilbur as they ventured from the library, 'you've never been to "Earl's Amazing Ice-Cream Shop" before?' He shook his head disappointedly, 'Where have you been?'

"Earl's Amazing Ice-Cream Shop" was an ice-cream lover's heaven. There was no other place in the city - actually, in the world - that could compare to the parlor. Honestly, what other ice-cream shop towered thirty stories off the ground, had floors that were made completely out of chocolate chip, and served fourty-five thousand different flavors to its customers?

'You can't blame me, can you?' smiled Violet. 'You tend to miss a few things when you're deep-frozen in a tin can for 32 years.'

'Well then,' said Wilbur, holding the door to the ice-cream shop open for our heroine. 'Prepare yourself for the best invention that has ever been invented in the history of mankind!'

Violet entered the parlor. 'Besides the time machine, of course?'

'Er…' shrugged Wilbur, closing the door behind him, 'the time machine is a close second.'

As Violet entered the parlor – she gasped in awe. The ice-cream sundae sprinkler, the hee-uge ice cream cone that stood in the middle of the first floor, and the fountain of fudge were beyond anything she could have imagined.

Violet did not doubt that "Earl's Amazing Ice-Cream Shop" was, well...amazing. However, of all the things that were in the ice-cream shop, Violet thought the creature that stood behind the counter of "Earl's Amazing Ice-Cream Shop" was the most amazing - most bizzare - thing that she had seen so far.

'Hi Earl. How's business?' Greeted Wilbur, plunking himself at the counter table. Then, patting the seat next to him, he turned to Violet.

'Ahhh, Monsieur Robinson, I didn't know zat you vould be coming today,' Replied the creature. Then, he darted over to Wilbur, leaned in close, and whispered, 'Of course, zat vould be a lie. You come into me parlor every day, my frozen-dairy loving friend.'

'Give me the usual,' said Wilbur, 'and as for my friend, she'd have a Saturday special.'

'Of course, of cou-' Earl stopped abruptly in mid-sentence upon realizing that all the blood had drained from Violet's face. 'Ehum, Monsieur, I do believe that Mademoiselle is about to have a heart attack.'

Wilbur spun around. 'Vi, are you alright?'

Violet would have answered Wilbur's question if she hadn't been gawking at Earl's bizarre appearance. Truly, she didn't mean to stare. However, it was incredibly difficult to ignore the fact that Earl had green skin, six tentacles, and feet so large that Bigfoot would've run for cover.

'Y-yeah,' coughed Violet, trying (and failing) to recompose herself.

'Earl's from Planet Mentrassus – you know, the same one Lefty's from,' grinned Wilbur. 'Apparently, the ice-cream on his planet's "out of this world"…Heh, excuse the pun.'

Earl returned soon after, whisking two large cups of ice cream before Violet and Wilbur. 'Two extra-large portions of ze Saturday special, on ze house.'

Earl darted over to Wilbur and hastily added, 'Zat vas another lie. You do know zat you haf to pay for zat, oui?'

'Bottoms up, Vi!' cheered Wilbur, completely ignoring Earl's question and devouring his ice cream.

Earl turned to Violet with a look that seemed to say "do you _really _want people to think that you know this guy?" before dashing away to serve another customer.

Violet laughed, reached for her spoon, and shoveled a sample of the dessert into her mouth.

Suddenly, the second the ice-cream reached her mouth, a strange, tingly sensation overwhelmed her. Then, her blood froze in her veins, her muscles tightened, and her entire body froze with rigidity.

'Hey, Vi, what's the matter?' asked Wilbur, gulping down his ice cream.

Violet tried to reply, but just as she opened her mouth to do so, flashes of pain ripped through her skull, and her entire body shook violently with discomfort. Before she knew it, Violet's hand shot into the air, knocked over her Saturday Special, and she spiraled off her chair.

'Violet! Vi, what's going on-'

Soon, everything in the ice-cream parlor melted away into a myriad of shapes, and the pain in Violet's skull burned with a greater intensity.

As she grasped her head in agony, and writhed on the floor of the ice-cream parlor, a raspy whisper filled her thoughts –

'_Metamorphosis. Robinson Industries.' _It hissed._ 'Little Super, your abilities shall be your undoing, your powers will end your life.'_

Then, everything went black.

* * *

><p>When Violet awoke, the first face she saw was Wilbur's. As her vision cleared, she realized that she was surrounded by a sea of faces, many of which belonged to her classmates. Earl was hovering over her. His lips were puckered, his eyes were closed, and to Violet's horror, he was leaning closer to her face.<p>

'AHHH! NO PLEASE! I'M AWAKE! I'M AWAKE!' Violet exclaimed, sitting up so abruptly that she almost gave Earl a headbutt.

'Vi, are you okay?' asked Wilbur, helping Violet to her feet. Violet attempted to stand. Suddenly, her legs gave way, and she slumped towards the ground once again.

'Metamorphosis, Powers,' murmured Violet, glancing wide-eyed at the crowd before her.

Her muttering aroused several raised eyebrows. Many of her classmates looked at each other with expressions that seemed to say, "that's it. Violet's finally cracked. Someone call the madhouse."

'D-didn't,' stammered Violet, 'didn't any of you hear the voice?'

Wilbur blinked. 'Voice?'

Violet grasped his shoulders. 'Yes, voice! Something about Metamorphosis…Robinson Industries?'

'Zere must be something vedy wrong wif ze ice-cream,' muttered Earl, 'I am truly sorry, Mademoiselle. Please do not sue me.'

'Let's get out of here, Vi,' muttered Wilbur, helping her to her feet. 'Lean on my shoulder, I think we'd better get you home.'

By the time they had gotten back to her family, and by the time Medium and Flame had stopped freaking out over the incident, Violet had managed to convince herself that the strange voice that she heard was simply a figment of her imagination.

_That must be it, _she thought, _it's only my imagination. That voice isn't coming back again, and that's the end of that._

If only she knew, things were going to get worse.

Much worse.


	2. Chapter 2

Wilbur was sure that summer vacation in 2037 was far more eventful than it was in the past.

On the last day of school, some joker decided to light a bunch of explosives on the school roof. So, the very moment the clock struck three, not only did the school explode in a frenzy of excited cheers, but the entire roof exploded in an eruption of flames, plaster and rubble.

'Was that Pete's handiwork?' asked Violet, astounded at the sight before her. Not only was the roof destroyed, but the entire fourth floor was blown to bits. It was a miracle that nobody had gotten hurt.

'Probably,' shrugged Wilbur, 'but Pete won't have to be punished until school re-opens. He's going to Scotland this summer, and the teachers won't be able to track him down till he gets back.'

'Won't he get expelled?' gasped Violet.

'Suspended, probably, but not expelled.'

Violet was aghast. 'He blew up the school! In my time, that deserved expultion.'

'In your time,' Wilbur laughed, extending a hand towards the school roof, 'they didn't have insta-buildings. Watch.'

In a blink of an eye, a grey, elongated blob stretched from the walls of the school and wrapped itself around the roof. To Violet's astonishment, it transformed into a series of concrete bricks, and solidified into a brand, new roof.

'Okay, come on.' Said Wilbur, trailing down the sidewalk.

Violet followed close behind. 'Where are we going?'

Wilbur smirked. 'To see Pete. Let's go see the little criminal before he makes a run for it.'

* * *

><p>'So, what did you think about the exploding roof?' asked Pete, with a smirk that stretched from ear-to-ear. 'Brilliant, wasn't it?'<p>

'"Brilliant"? More like "stupid"!' exclaimed Violet. 'You could've killed somebody!'

Pete shrugged. 'Hey, you can't please everybody.'

Upon seeing Violet turn crimson with anger, Pete burst out laughing. 'Relax, Vi. I protected all the classrooms on the fourth floor with some spare portable force-fields from Mr. Robinson's laboratory.'

'Wait a sec,' muttered Wilbur, 'I didn't know that dad let you have his portable force-fields.'

Pete grinned. 'I didn't say that he let me have it, did I?'

Wilbur laughed. 'You're going to end up in prison one day.'

The rest of the hour was spent helping Pete pack for Scotland. (It took a while to convince him not to bring the bagpipes – there was no way that they would be able to fit into his luggage. Plus, if Pete were to use the instrument, his horrible playing would turn half of Scotland deaf.)

Then, the trio spent the rest of the evening fiddling with Pete's hoverboard, finishing the holographic treehouse in Pete's backyard, and watching the first twenty six seasons of Captain Future (by the time that ended, Violet's eyes were spinning with the image of a man in tights).

'Captain Future is the _greatest _superhero that ever lived!' exclaimed Wilbur, as the marathon ended.

Suddenly, he froze in realization, sheepishly turned to Violet and whispered, 'Second greatest.'

Pete, who had been sleeping through most of the marathon, awoke with a start and wiped the drool that slithered from his lips. Then, he rose to his feet, stretched his arms, and stumbled towards the kitchen.

'Okay,' he murmured, 'I'm going to get more popcorn.'

'Oh no, you don't.' laughed Violet, rising to hers. 'I'm never trusting you with popcorn again.'

Pete feigned a hurt expression. 'Why-ever not?'

'Because the last time you got us popcorn,' said Wilbur, 'you put holographic spiders in them. Then, Violet screamed so loudly that we got kicked out of the movie theatre.'

'Ah, excuse me, Captain Future,' replied Violet, 'weren't you the one that squealed for your mother, and didn't stop screaming until the security guard threw us out of the building?'

Wilbur flushed. To his dismay, Violet correctly recalled exactly what had happened during that day. 'Whatever, Vi.'

Pete's face shriveled into a frown. 'Fine. If my friends – my two bestest, best friends in the entire universe – do not trust me anymore, I have no reason to live.'

Violet rolled her eyes, ignored Pete as he pretended to burst into tears, and headed out of the living room.

'Drama Queen,' she muttered.

'I heard that!' shouted Pete from the living room.

Violet chuckled to herself as she wandered into the kitchen. Upon catching a glimpse of the marble-white kitchen sink, the spotless tiles, and the rows of Vegemite that were sprawled across the counter, she couldn't help but remember how her kitchen back home - back home in 2007 - looked almost exactly like Pete's.

_Stop it, Vi. _She reminded herself. _There's no point moping over what you've lost. You've got to keep moving forward, remember?_

Suppressing her grief, Violet walked towards the row of cupboards above the sink, and pushed a couple of the blinking buttons that lined its edges. Then, stepping back, Violet heard the whir of mechanical cogs sound from within the walls, and watched as the cupboard rattled and shook in place.

After several seconds, the cupboard stopped shaking, its door popped open, and a bowl of freshly-popped popcorn was sitting within it. As Violet pulled it from the cupboard and wandered to the living room, she wondered if she would have enough time to put some holographic spiders in the bowl.

Little did she know, she never would have gotten the chance.

The same familiar shards of pain shot through her brain. The bowl of popcorn left her hands, and shattered on the kitchen tiles with a deafening _crash_, as Violet collapsed along with it.

Once again, the objects around her merged into a typhoon of colours, and a hoarse, threatening voice hissed in her head –

'_Metamorphosis Vessel, Cornelius Robinson,' _grated the voice, _'Invisibility, Telekinesis, Fire-synthesis, Magnetism, Intelligence.'_

'_Soon, Invisigirl. Your death shall arrive sooner than you think. And as soon as it comes, the city will fall to its knees!'_

* * *

><p>'Do you think she's alive?'<p>

'I hope so...'

'Let's kick her. If she's alive, she'd feel it, and she'd threaten to beat me up.'

'Pete, don't you dare,' said Violet. Her voice shivered with fright, and her body was drenched in sweat.

Upon noticing that Violet was awake, Wilbur wasted no time in helping her up. To Violet's surprise, his hands were shaking almost as much as her body was. _He must have been pretty worried, _Violet supposed.

Pete stood loyally by their side, his expression as concerned as Wilbur's was.

'What happened?' asked Pete. 'Did the popcorn bowl attack you or something?'

Violet was unnerved. It had happened _again_. A sickening feeling engulfed her being as she realized that something horrible was about to happen – something that could threaten the lives of everyone she loved – and if nobody addressed the issue, Todayland was doomed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here it is; chapter 3 of Team Future Metamorphosis! *****crowds cheer, fireworks explode, and an angel's chorus resounds in the heavens*******

**Here's the first chapter in this story that's been written by the Great Artificus. On behalf of the both of us, we hope you like it :) **

The realization hit her like a car - Vi was shocked! And at the same time it only raised even more questions. Vi could hardly think straight. The first time when she heard that voice, she had still calmed herself with the thought that it was only her own imagination, but now she was sure that it was no coincidence. Someone sent telepathic messages, and threatened her... her and the whole city!

For a second, Vi clung to the idea that it was only Emely, who had fun teasing her with her telepathic powers - but that was absurd; the young medium would never go so far... she would never frighten someone just for fun...

"I - I gotta go home," Vi murmured, after Wilbur had helped her up. She didn't know exactly how being at home would change anything about her current situation, but she was scared. She would have liked to hide under her blanket.

"Certainly not!" Wilbur disagreed strongly, "We're taking you to the doctor!"

"No, I have to -"

"Vi, that's already the second time you passed out! Maybe you're sick!" Wilbur said, the severity in his voice had given way to concern.

"The second time?" Pete asked in surprise.

"It was the same a few days ago at Earl's ice cream shop" said Wilbur.

"What?" Pete cried aghast, "And yet you didn't go to the doctor immediately? It's not normal when people pass out! I'll get mom," he said, was about to leave the room.

"It's okay again, really -" Vi tried to stop him.

"And you went to Earl's without me?" Pete suddenly cried offended, jerking around.

"Now go get your mother!" Wilbur said irritably.

"No, Wilbur, really ..." Vi began, after Pete was gone.

"Could it be an aftereffect from the cryostasis?" he interrupted her.

"No!" Violet protested vehemently, "That's so long ago!"

She gave her best friend an uncomfortable glance, then she whispered, "Besides... I also heard that voice again..."

Now Wilbur's usual air of self-confidence vanished in an instant. Unsure, he looked at Violet. Fainting was one thing, but hearing voices was definitely not normal. A few days ago, when Violet had said that the whole thing that happened at Earl's ice cream shop was nothing to worry about, Wilbur just ignored it, trying not to waste a single thought about it. But now it happened again! To be honest, he didn't feel comfortable at all. And seeing Vi like this didn't make it any better. He tried not to dissemble though, but only stared at her.

"Say, do you know another medium except of Emely?" Violet asked uncertainly, almost anxiously after a thoughtful pause.

"No..."

"Are you sure?" Violet asked, and looked at him pleadingly.

A very uncomfortable silence ensued, and Vi could see that he was thinking the same as she did.

"You ... you mean ... Alpha ...?" Wilbur whispered incredulously, and he fervently hoped that he was wrong.

"... Who else?" Vi said, and she suddenly got a very dry mouth.

"No, wait, wait, wait! What did this voice say at all?" Wilbur said hastily, almost rushed. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to achieve with it. He probably just wanted to change the subject to distract from the idea of Alpha being alive and threatening them.

"Metamorphosis ... and it uttered some death threats against me ..." Violet said, and she couldn't help but laughing cynically, though she actually felt like crying her eyes out. She was terrified, but she couldn't admit this, of course - after all, she was a super hero here.

"Cobra is dead!" Wilbur insisted, determined. He wouldn't admit it, but actually the thought about Alpha scared him just as much as Violet.

"But apparently Alpha is still alive..." declared Violet, "and he wants to kill me!"

Wilbur was just about to disagree, when Pete and his mother entered the room.

"Vi, what happened?" She asked anxiously when she saw the dark haired girl, who was pale like a sheet. But she also was worried about Wilbur, who didn't look much better then Vi.

"Nothing! I'm all right!" Violet lied, and tried to give her a halfway convincing smile.

"She lost consciousness. We almost thought she had died," Pete tattled. "I would've started digging her grave, if only she hadn't woken up so soon -"

"What?" his mother cried horrified. Pete just wanted to add that she must take them to the doctor, when Vi interrupted:

"It was a joke!"

"You really believe everything!" Wilbur said jokingly, however, it sounded not very convincing. But he didn't give them time to ask more questions. He took Violet's hand and ran with her towards the front door, "Well, we have to leave! Bye!" he called out before they closed the door behind them.

Pete ran to the door, and tore it up again

"Hey! Where are you going?" she called after them.

"Home!" Violet shouted back.

"Ohm ... okay ..." Pete mumbled. He closed the door, a little sad about the fact that they were leaving without saying goodbye properly. After all, he wouldn't see them for the coming weeks, when he was in Scotland.

"And where we are now going?" Wilbur repeated Pete's question after a while, and slowed the pace.

"No idea! Does it even matter? With his telepathic powers Alpha finds me everywhere!" Vi cried; it was much louder than intended, but she was slightly in panic and had trouble keeping herself under control.

"How do you know that it is Alpha? Maybe - " Wilbur began forcefully.

"Maybe there is some other sadistic medium, that has fun to torment me?" Violet interrupted aggressively, "Does this make the situation any better, or what?"

Vi was right; it didn't matter whether it was Alpha or not. The only certainty was that they were in danger.

"Why are we screaming at each other...?" Wilbur asked confused. Violet then seemed to shrink. She was ashamed that she shouted at the only person who helped her. Her aggression disappeared and left nothing but helplessness ...

"I don't know ..." Violet murmured desperately and squatted on the ground. She had no strength left, she did not know what to do ...

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. The touch seemed to give her strength again. She pulled herself together and stood up, realizing that sitting around wouldn't help them.

"Do you think Emely could help you?" Wilbur asked.

"Well, probably ..." Violet began, but she hesitated. If Vi would tell Emely and Flame about Alpha, she would also have to tell them about the time travel, and why she stole the time machine ... because she wanted to leave this time and them, to return to her old life.

"What now...?" Vi asked desperately.

"Now don't pretend like you're all alone!" Wilbur began encouraging and gave her a slight push with his elbow. But it didn't seem to cheer her up... at all. Wilbur didn't know what to do. This was not like in the comics at all. They walked in silence for a while.

"Metamorphosis ..." Wilbur suddenly began thoughtfully.

"And it mentioned some super powers..." Violet added.

Wilbur whispered, "there's something very, very familiar about that name…It must have been an invention that's already been created. O-or maybe it's a weapon -"

"What if Alpha uses this weapon against us?" Vi said after a while.

"Then you would finally get the normal life you've always dreamed of!" Wilbur grinned. But when Violet didn't show a reaction, he added, "That ... was a joke ... "

"I don't really feel like laughing..." Vi said, exhausted.

"The question is, why does he let you know that?" Wilbur began again after a pause, "If he wants to take your powers away, he doesn't need to inform you about it... He could simply find you, point the weapon at you and pull the trigger."

Violet gulped. She hadn't even thought about this. This whole thing was getting more and more confusing.

"If you ask me, that just cries out 'trap'! He wants you to react, to do something to stop him, in order to fall into his trap!"

"Maybe ..." Vi began, "Or maybe he's just having fun torturing me ..."

Vi didn't go home immediately. Previously, she payed Emely a visit. Wilbur, however, went home to find out more about the Metamorphosis machine.

Violet found her niece Emely sitting in the kitchen, eating cornflakes.

"M?" asked Vi, when she entered the kitchen.

"Hi Vi!" the bubbly blonde girl greeted her aunt. But when she saw Violet, her expression changed, "What's wrong?"

Vi squirmed uncomfortably - she didn't really know where to begin.

"Could - could a medium locate a person with their telepathic powers?" Vi asked finally.

"Depends ..." replied the blonde girl.

"On what ..?" Violet asked urgently.

"Well, on the medium." Emely replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Well - so, a powerful medium could?" Violet said hesitantly, not quite sure if she understood.

"Maybe..." Emely said, shrugging.

These responses were not particularly helpful. Violet began chewing her fingernails nervously. What should she do now? What could she do against this threat?

"What is it? Are you scared that I could spy on you?" Emely said with a smile, to lighten Violet up a little.

Vi only shook her head, deep in thought. Emely would have really liked to read her mind, but that would be immoral. Somehow she had to get Violet to tell her about her problem.

She only felt that her aunt was very, very worried - more than that - something was scaring her terribly.

"What is it then? You seem a little nervous ..."

'A little' was a great understatement! Violet looked completely drained. She was pale, she could barely hide her trembling and even the sound of her voice was frightened.

Violet couldn't say anything. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she had a big knot in her throat, that made it impossible to speak. Helpless she looked at the young girl in front of her.

"Did you hear this voice again?" Emely asked worried, hoping the answer was 'no'. But she knew better. All the time she had the feeling that there was more behind this incident in the ice cream parlor then just Violet's vast imagination. Violet only nodded.

"This... is serious..." Emely sighed, "Would you mind if I -...?"she continued carefully, finishing the sentence with a simple gesture by pointing at her head, to show that she wanted to use her telepathic powers. Vi nodded hesitantly. Then Emely closed her eyes.

She focused on Vi's thoughts. It was not as difficult to enter into another person's mind, as she had thought. Each spirit was different, there were no drawers in which everything was properly arranged and neatly labeled, no, it was a shambles. Emely was aware that she could probably discover things that were not meant for her - all she could do was trying to avoid this. Her only chance not to lose herself in this jungle of thoughts, feelings and memories, was to follow Vi's fear, this single, precise emotion. She followed it slowly to the two fainting attacks and the eerie voice that Vi had heard - then everything went very quickly, suddenly entirely new fields opened up, Alpha, Cobra, a journey through time -

Suddenly Sybille, Emely's mother, entered the kitchen, so that Emely had to interrupt her research. Maybe this wasn't so bad - after all she wasn't allowed to see the last part at all.

"Girls, it's such a nice weather! Your should go out and enjoy the sun!" Sybille said cheerfully.

"Okay Mom," Emely said, then she stood up, grabbed Violet's arm and they both went out, without saying a word. Outside, they sat on the lawn in the shade of an apple tree. They sat there in silence for some time. Vi felt a little relieved and reassured. She didn't know what Emely had found out, but her niece made a very thoughtful impression. Sure she had an idea what they could do now.

"I don't want to hide the fact that I know a few things now." Emely said after a while, very seriously, "I want to be honest ... then one of us is, at least - " she continued and gave Vi a stinging glance. Thereupon Vi suddenly was all choked up, her face became bright red, her heart pounded, she felt like crying and wanted to apologize to her niece ... Now it wasn't only the fear that made life difficult but a bad conscience too. But apparently Emely had no interest to talk about the incident with the time machine. Instead, she stretched and changed the subject.

"If I was you, I really would be scared..." she said casually.

"Well... that's uplifting..." Vi uttered with difficulty.

"But Wilbur is right... these messages just cry out 'trap'!" Emely continued.

Vi startled at first, because Emely wasn't around at her conversation with Wilbur, until she remembered that the blonde girl had some of her knowledge now.

"My theory is that he can not locate you -" Emely said, and Violet gave a huge sigh of relief, "He is able to find your mind, in that vast number of different souls and personalities of this city, but his skills are not precise enough to determine your physical location."

"And ... why is he doing this? I mean, sending me these messages?"

"I think he scares you on purpose... this way it's easier for him to find you." her niece replied, but when she saw Vi's rather confused facial expression, she continued to explain, "Well... you have to imagine that emotions can be different in their intensity - you surely know that from personal experience ... Now it's so - at least with me - that I can feel very strong emotions over larger distances... When Mrs. Hudson fights with her husband at the other end of the road, then I feel it up into my room... "

"And fear is a strong emotion ..." Vi noted.

"Exactly." Emely said.

"So, my fear makes it easier for him to find me..." Vi repeated, only now becoming aware of this.

"Indeed."

"Oh great ..." Vi said, frustrated, and buried her face in her hands.

"Did you notice, whose powers he mentioned? Invisibility, Telekinesis, Fire-synthesis..." Emely said quietly.

"Intelligence ..." Violet remembered.

"Who is the smartest person of Todayland?" Emely tried to help her. When Vi finally understood, the beauty of the day, the warmth of the sunlight and the scent of the flowers seemed to disappear all of a sudden - all that remained was a stiff, powerless and cold feeling. Vi froze so much, that she had the feeling that steam would rise with her words...

"Oh no ..."


	4. Chapter 4

A giant pair of goggles were plastered across Cornelius Robinson's face, making him look like a giant-eyed bug with a bad hair day.

Behind him, men and women in labcoats scurried across the steel-plated floor. Stacks of blueprints were packed in their arms, and anxious expressions were displayed across their faces.

Their anxiety was not unfounded. The skilled scientists that were gathered in the room had stayed awake for hours – if not days – working on Cornelius Robinson's newest invention. This was a major, if not the biggest, project that they had ever worked on. There was no doubt about it; the invention that they had been assigned to build would change the world.

Provided, of course, that they didn't blow it up before it was completed.

Cornelius's eyes narrowed as he fingered the microchip that lay on the table before him. His hands shook as he attempted to place two incredibly small, incredibly delicate, wires together. The circuitry sparked gently as the wires neared each other, and sparks of electricity fizzed across the appliance.

A bead of sweat trickled down Cornelius's forehead. One small move could cause the microchip to short circuit. He required absolute concentration to conduct this task…

"Mr. Robinson."

_BZZZZTTT! _Just as the voice sounded in Cornelius's earpiece, his fingers zipped out of balance. The wires zipped past each other, and its fibres brushed across Cornelius's left hand. Despite being protected by a glove, volts of electricity shot through Cornelius's skin, causing him to drop the wires in pain.

Cornelius ripped the gloves off his aching palm, and gently massaged his fingers with his uninjured hand. He croaked, "Congratulations, Ms. Simmons. You have just succeeded in electrocuting me for the fifteenth time today."

"I'm sorry, sir," said the voice over the earpiece. (Funnily enough, she didn't sound very sorry to Mr. Robinson.) "I wouldn't interrupt you if it wasn't about something important."

Cornelius breathed, "No harm done, Ms. Simmons. Now, what exactly do you have to tell me?"

"You have a visitor, sir."

"A visitor? That's odd. I don't remember having any meetings or interviews today," pondered Cornelius.

"There's someone who would very much like to meet you," elaborated Ms. Simmons.

Cornelius sighed, "Can't it wait?"

Ms. Simmons's muffled voice sounded over the microphone, as she began to talk to Cornelius's visitor. Then, she answered, "Apparently not, Mr. Robinson. This young person seems very eager to see you."

"Oh," said Cornelius. Wilbur's face popped into his mind. "Yes, of course. Send him in."

Cornelius snatched the goggles off his eyes, and gently massaged his temples. The lack of sleep had given him a searing headache; one that he was certain would plague him for days.

_Maybe, _he decided, _I can catch up on some sleep before my son arrives._

Cornelius rested his head on his desk, and closed his eyes for the first time in hours. However, just as he was about to drift off into sleep, he was interrupted by the sound of somebody zipping into the laboratory through the travel tubes.

Cornelius sighed, sleep would have to wait.

"Hey, kiddo," said Cornelius, sweeping around on his swivel chair. He turned to face his visitor, "You rarely visit me at work. What's up?"

Instead of looking into the sparkling brown eyes of his little boy, Cornelius came face-to-face with -

"Violet," gasped Cornelius. "Hello there, young lady." He surveyed her pale complexion, her bloodshot eyes, and her terrified expression. "Yowza. You look like you've gotten less sleep than I have. What seems to be the matter?"

"Mr. Robinson," hissed Violet. "There's something happening to me. Something that's very…very…oh, you're not going to believe me when I tell you."

Cornelius laughed. He put a hand on Violet's shivering shoulder. "Violet, you're talking to the man who's time travelled at least fifteen times in his entire life." Cornelius grinned. "I've had my share of unbelievable stories. I think I can handle yours."

Violet gulped, "You're in grave trouble, Mr. Robinson."

This was something that Cornelius did not expect to hear. Normally, when Violet or Wilbur struck conversations with him, they would usually say something along the lines of _"can I have a bike, dad?" _or _"Mr. Robinson, Wilbur's asking me to use my powers to steal the answers for next week's pop quiz. Can you please knock some sense into him?_"

He rarely heard them talk about anything so…well…threatening.

Cornelius blinked. "Violet, Franny's been telling me about how you've been feeling rather sick lately. Maybe you aught to lie down –"

"I'm not tired, nor am I crazy!" Insisted Violet. "Please listen to me – you're in trouble! There's someone out there who wants to hurt you."

"Hurt me? Who?"

"I…well, I don't know just yet," stammered Violet, "b-but you have to believe me!"

Cornelius - being the typical grown-up - was not ready to believe Violet's words just yet. Her claim was completely illogical – Violet didn't know who wanted to hurt Cornelius, so how could she possibly know that he was in danger?

Despite this, Cornelius remembered that Violet was one of the most level-headed teenagers he had ever met, and not to mention, one of the most trustworthy. She had never failed Cornelius before, so she could be…Cornelius feared…telling the truth.

Cornelius tightened his grip on Violet's shoulder. "Violet, you've hardly been wrong about life-and-death situations like this. Although, I have to admit, your claim seems quite unusual, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

"I can assure you, I am perfectly safe behind the walls of Robinson Industries. There are guards at every corner, cameras at every hallway; the security in this building is the best in the world," smiled Cornelius.

Violet shuddered. She wasn't entirely sure that this was enough to keep Cornelius safe from… whoever it was. Violet choked, "Mr. Robison, I-I…"

"I'll keep my guard up at all times, Violet. Don't worry, I'll be safe." Cornelius lowered his voice down into a whisper, "plus, the world's best teenage superhero has my back. I think that you'll send anyone who tries to hurt me screaming for their mommies." Cornelius grinned. "Won't you, invisigirl?"

Violet's anxiety melted somewhat away. Sure, there were still millions of questions, doubts and fears swirling around in her head. But for now, she found relief in the fact that Cornelius Robinson would be safe. Violet: 1, Bad guys: 0.

She nodded. "You bet'cha, sir."

Cornelius grinned, taking his hands off Violet's shoulders. He reached for his spectacles. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd best be getting back to work."

Cornelius gave Violet an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Vi. I'm afraid that you'd have to leave – Wilbur should be free today, and I'd bet my labcoat that he'd love to have you over."

"Okay, Mr. Robinson. I'll go," obeyed Violet. She grinned, "what are you working on, anyway? According to Cousin Lazlo, it's your greatest invention yet – you know, except for the time machine."

Cornelius chuckled, "I'm afraid that's classified information."

"Can you at least tell me its name?" asked Violet, walking towards the travel tubes.

She didn't expect Cornelius to adhere to her request, but to her surprise, he nodded hesitantly.

"Only its name. No other questions, okay?" demanded Cornelius, Violet nodded with a grin. As she stepped into the travel tube, she was bathed in a cool, blue light.

"I call it," said Cornelius, "Project: _Metamorphosis_."

Violet's mouth snapped open to speak. However, before she could utter a word, every ounce of air was ripped from her lungs. She was sucked upwards, and was shot her through the network of travel tubes within Robinsons Industries.

A horrible, lurching feeling dwelled deep within her stomach. Not because she felt sick from riding the travel tubes, but because she was convinced that Cornelius Robinson was in more danger than he could imagine.

* * *

><p>"Dude, what happened? You guys totally left without saying a proper goodbye."<p>

Wilbur Robinson faced a giant, holographic television screen. (And when I say giant, I mean _giant_. This television screen stretched all the way to the ceiling of his room, and was three times as wide as his bed…Stinkin' rich kids.)

Pete's face appeared on the television screen, disappointedly staring at Wilbur. Wilbur, who was currently sitting on his couch, pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Sorry, man – we had no choice," said Wilbur. "There's something crazy going on with Violet."

Pete scoffed, "My friend, there's always something crazy going on with Violet." His lips twisted into a grin, "if you haven't noticed yet – and I love her like a friend when I say this – she is the weirdest, craziest, most abnormal…"

Pete's voice cracked upon seeing the door to Wilbur's bedroom creak open, and Violet emerging from behind it. He continued, "…wonderful, beautiful, most amazing girl that you and I have the pleasure of meeting. Yep. That's what I think about Violet Parr."

Wilbur blinked. "She's right behind me, isn't she?"

Pete gulped, he lowered his voice. "Do you think she heard what I said? Y-you know, the stuff I said before she came into the room?"

"Yes I did," said Violet, flopping onto the couch alongside Wilbur. "Wilbur, remind me to boil him in burning pickle juice when he comes back from summer vacation."

"And remind me to run for my life." Smiled Pete, glancing jokingly at Violet.

Violet grinned back. Pete might be obnoxious, annoying and completely immature. But Violet had seen a side of Pete – the kind, caring side of Pete. Although Pete had a criminal record the size of Texas, he had a heart that was even bigger.

The trio spent the next hour chatting about how yesterday's Captain Future marathon was the best one they've sat through, and how Pete should – for the love of Scotland – refrain from playing his bagpipes. They chatted until it was time for Pete to board his flight. And, as they laughed and joked, the fear and sorrow in Violet's heart slowly melted away.

* * *

><p>The moon shied behind a veil of clouds, and not a star hung in the black void above. Violet peered pensively out of her window, and into the night sky that loomed above. She was so lost in thought that she almost missed hearing the timid knock that resounded on her bedroom door.<p>

Violet's head snapped towards the door. "Who is it?"

"It's just me," said Emely, entering the room, and shutting the door behind her.

She glided over to Violet. As she reached, she leaned upon the window ledge.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered.

"Terrified, Em," replied Violet. "Today, Mr. Robinson –"

"I know. I've read your mind," said Em. Violet shot her a disapproving glare, and Em shrugged unsmilingly in response.

"This time, I didn't choose to read your mind," answered Em. "Your thoughts were so loud that…now I know that this sounds crazy, they entered my mind. Your brain _told _me what you were thinking."

Violet sighed. "That happens every time that someone's overly worried about something, isn't it? Like the time Flame set your dad's good pants on fire? Their thoughts are so loud that they just jump out at you."

Em shrugged, "Something like that." She squinted. "It's hard to explain." She glanced back to Violet, "I suppose you haven't told Wilbur about…you know…Mr. Robinson?"

Violet stayed silent. She had no idea how to possibly tell Wilbur that his dad – his confidant and friend – could die within the fortnight. Wilbur would be worried sick. Either that, or he wouldn't believe her. Heck, he hardly believed her when she told him that Alpha was telepathically communicating with her.

_If he didn't believe me about Alpha, _thought Violet, _why would he believe me about something like this?_

"Because he's your friend," said Em. This caused Violet's head to turn slowly, curiously, towards her companion.

"Friends believe each other, no matter how crazy the tale," replied Em. She gave Violet a smile. "Trust me, as far as friends go, Wilbur's a pretty good one." She pushed herself off the windowsill. "He'll believe you."

A moment of silence passed between the two. Then, Emely ventured towards the exit, bid Violet goodnight, and closed the door behind her. As she left Violet's room, she made a mental note to tell her nosy siblings to leave Violet alone for the rest of the night. After all, she knew – somehow – that Violet needed to be left alone in order to conduct what she planned to do.

Violet breathed as she picked up her cell-pod. She pushed the giant button on the top of the device, causing a holographic screen to appear above the appliance.

She pushed the transparent buttons on the cell-pod, and waited as the call was transmitted. Seconds later, Wilbur's grinning face appeared on the holographic screen.

"Hi, Vi," greeted her friend, "what's up?"

Wilbur's smile melted away upon seeing the grim expression on Violet's face. Violet spoke, "Wilbur, you're my friend, aren't you? And you'll believe me when I say that I'll do anything in my power to stop what's going to happen, right?"

Wilbur was silent. "Vi, what do you mean?"

Violet gulped, "Something terrible's going to happen to your dad, and I have a feeling that it's linked to the device that he's making."

She choked, upon seeing Wilbur's eyes widen with fear. "I needed to tell you now, because I need you to keep an eye on your dad for me – if something, anything, happens to him, call me immediately."

Violet breathed, "Somehow, I have this horrible feeling that Mr. Robinson's life isn't the only one at stake. Whatever's going to happen isn't going to only happen to your dad...it's going to happen to everyone, and I mean _everyone,_ that we know and love."


End file.
